


Part of the Family

by PinkPandorafrog



Series: Advent Calendar 2017 [23]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 01:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13112802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkPandorafrog/pseuds/PinkPandorafrog
Summary: Darcy was seriously considering NOT going with Daniel to visit his family, but she's kind of glad she did





	Part of the Family

**Author's Note:**

> December 23's prompt is stocking!

Darcy had been really,  _ really _ tempted to say no when Daniel asked her to go with him to spend the holiday with his brother’s family. But he’d assured her that not only would David and Bev not care about their relationship, they’d actually get to stay in the same room. She’d been a little nervous about it, but in the end, she’d agreed.

They’d had to fly, of course. David had picked them up at the airport. Daniel had told her that they were twins at some point, but she hadn’t expected exactly  _ how _ alike they really looked. That was a trip. 

But David drove them to a nice house in the suburbs with an actual snowman in the yard and a very pretty tree in the front window. Smoke plumed up from the chimney, blending in with the low-hanging gray clouds above.

“You know,” Darcy said, peering out the car window. “I was sure this was going to be my first snow-free Christmas since…” She traveled back in time? Couldn’t say that. “The war.”

“Supposed to snow tonight, too. So they say. Of course… They say a lot of things.” David pulled the car to a stop in the driveway and glanced back at her with a very familiar grin.

“They sure do.” As soon as the car was parked, Darcy got out and went around to the trunk.

“What are you doing?” David asked as he came to open it up.

“Getting our bags?” She narrowed her eyes at him. It seemed kind of obvious.

“Don’t they have manners in Canada?” He gestured towards the house. “Go on inside, take your coat off.” That was the official story, she was from Canada, not some seventy years in the future. “You too, Danny-boy. It’s slippery out here.”

“Right.” Darcy nodded. She went around to where Daniel was making his very careful way across the snow to the front door. “We’ve just been told.”

“Daniel!” came from a pretty blonde woman standing in the open front door. That must be Bev. She was smiling and holding a baby with a very curious expression on his - going by the blue sweater - face.

“Hi, Bev.” They reached the door, and Daniel leaned down to exchange a hug and a kiss on the cheek with the woman. “Bev, this is Darcy. Darcy, Bev.”

“It’s so good to meet you.” Bev pulled Darcy into a hug and had the same kiss on the cheek she’d had for her brother in law.

Darcy was a little surprised, but she returned the one-armed embrace. “You too.”

“Come on in, out of the cold.” Bev stepped back into the warmth of the house, and Daniel gestured Darcy through first.

The house was cozy. It was tidy rather than clean, and definitely lived in. That made it a little more comfortable than absolute immaculateness would have.

“I’ll show you to your room,” Bev said. She went through the living room and started down a hall. “Here you are. The bathroom’s right across the hall, if you need it.” She gave them a warm smile before leaving the room.

The bed was made, and there was a nice, warm-looking afghan and a Christmasy quilt spread across the foot. 

Before Darcy really had a chance to say anything, David came in and set the two suitcases on the floor by the bed. “Here you are. There’s coffee on, come have a drink when you’re ready.” And he left the room and shut the door.

“They’re nice.” Darcy made a face. “Really nice.”

“You weren’t expecting that?” Daniel’s slight disbelief made her feel just a little bit bad.

“No, it’s not that, just… ‘Hi, and welcome to the family.’ That’s not really been… my experience so far? I mean, you’re great. And Peggy, and Angie, and Rose…” And all of the Howlies, but not the time to talk about that. “But most people, I can  _ feel _ them judging me from across the room. Also, I’m corrupting you with my brazen ways?”

Daniel reached out snagged her waist with his free hand, tugging her until she was flush against the front of his body. “Not nearly brazen or corrupting enough.” He leaned down and kissed her, and they lingered together for a good few minutes.

She pulled away and looked up into his brown eyes. “I really do want that coffee, you know.”

He grinned. He stepped back just enough to pull the door open and gestured out into the hall.

Bev and David were in the living room, and Daniel apparently had two nephews, not just one. They were introduced as James and Thomas, James being the baby and Thomas being about four, maybe.

“Why don’t I get some coffee?” Bev said, and stood up.

“I’ll help.” Darcy patted Daniel’s thigh from where she was seated beside him on the sofa and got to her feet.

Bev led her through to the kitchen. “Daniel said you met at work?”

“Yes.” Darcy narrowed her eyes a little. She wasn’t  _ entirely _ sure how much Bev knew or didn’t know about what they actually did. Maybe that would have been a good conversation to have on the plane. “We met in New York, and then he had the option of going out to California. And it was either go out there and work for him, or stay in New York and work with…” She trailed off and shook your head. “Honestly, he’s the best boss I’ve had.” In the forties, at least. “It wasn’t really a choice.”

“How did you end up in New York?” Bev had a friendly curiosity to her.

Friendly or not, it was still  _ that _ question. “I was… involved in the war in Europe, and then when I came back, that’s where they sent me.”

Bev nodded like it made sense. She poured out four cups of coffee, then reached up into the cupboard over the sink to get a bottle of what looked like whiskey. “I don’t know how you take yours…”

“Whiskey’s a good start.” They exchanged a knowing look.

“Day like today, especially. There’s a bottle of milk in the fridge.” Bev added a healthy amount of whiskey to each of the mugs. “You don’t mind the leg?” She looked right at Darcy when she asked, and there was a sort of protectiveness there.

Darcy opened up the fridge for the milk as she thought about how to answer. “I think we’re all a little different after the war,” she said slowly. She set the milk on the counter and met Bev’s brown eyes squarely. “For some people that’s more physically visible, but if he can accept me as I am…” She trailed off and glanced towards the living room. 

Bev nodded at that. She picked up a mug off the counter and handed it to Darcy. “Daniel mentioned you like blue. I’m sorry I don’t have this finished yet. I just have a couple more rows to go, so it should be done tonight.”

“What’s that?” Darcy looked back from the fridge to see Bev pick up the knitting that had been on the counter. It was a stocking, a big Christmas-style stocking. With  _ her _ name on it. “Bev, that’s beautiful!”

Bev smiled. “Thank you. You’re part of the family and you’re spending Christmas with us, so I figured you’d need a stocking.” There was a touch of uncertainty to her voice like she wasn’t sure she’d done the right thing. “Daniel’s had a bit of a tough time, but he’s just so happy.”

“No, I love it.” Darcy set the milk on the counter and turned to hug the other woman. “Thank you.” That absolutely  _ wasn’t _ a tear, her eyes were just leaking from the whiskey fumes. Or whatever.


End file.
